Editor, RE: “Interpol cancels diffusions issued by Spain against 40 Rwandans” (The New Times Online edition, November 19). Interpol has indeed proved that Rwanda’s sovereignty must be respected. What a shame! Fernando Andreu Merelles has clearly brought his country’s credibility into question! It is worth recalling that, UN experts established in 2009 that Merelles had received funding from a network of faith-based NGOs to work on the indictment while the same NGOs were known sponsors of the FDLR militia. Merelles built his case based on information from these terrorism-supporting NGOs. This clearly showed how the indictment was politically motivated. Garang Onganya ************** Former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs Jendayi Frazer once referred to this indictment as “new paternalism and barbarism”...”false and unsubstantiated” allegations. Indeed a U.S. government interagency review conducted in 2007-08 found that the Spanish allegations against Rwanda military commanders were false and unsubstantiated. Rwanda described the allegations as “contemptible and outrageous”. While a 2008 confidential diplomatic cable from then U.S. ambassador to Rwanda, Michael R. Arietti, leaked by WikiLeaks, described the indictment as “outrageous and inaccurate.” “The Spanish Indictment of 40 Rwandan military officers offers an unrecognisable version of some of the most painful and violent episodes in Rwanda’s history, distorting the established record, inventing mass killings,” the envoy said. Jackson Rukwago
